Bottle stopper



Aug. 4, 1942 UNITED `S'IA'rlazs lesrilzls'r, orner-:f

m sem i Axel Moeller, nicht, W18.

VVApplkliloll Jill! V, 1939, Serial N0. 283,524

1.0181!!!- (Cl. MI5-5.3) l

This invention appertains to expansible stoppers for sealing the necks of bottles and like containers.

, One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a stopper embodying an adjustable sleeve carrying a swinging cam, with a pressure plate. and a top cone slidably mounted on the smooth sleeve for movement by the cam toward an expansible sleeve conned between the said top cone and a bottom cone.

A further important object of my invention is the provision of a threaded stem carrying the bottom cone, with means for adjustably associating a sleeve having a smooth exterior surface with a stem upon which is slidably mounted a pressure plate and a cone.

A still further important object of my invention is the provision of novel means for associating the top cone with the pressure plate, whereby the top cone and pressure plate will be properly centered at all times relative to each other and to the sleeve and the expansible sealing member.

With these and other objects in view, the lnvention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and

illustrated in the accompanying drawing, vin

which drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved stopper, with the lever ca/m in its lowered, operative position, the stopper being shown applied to a vacuum bottle, the bottle being illustrated in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the stopper, with parts thereof broken away and in section.

Figure 3 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view through the stopper, showing the lever cam in its raised, inoperative position, the view beying taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, shown ing the lever in its lowered position and the body of the stopper compressed longitudinally for sealing contact with the neck oi a bottle.

Figure 5 is a horizontal, sectional view tak- .en on the line l-l of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in similar reference characters designate corredetail, wherein sponding parts throughout the several views, the

letter S generally indicates my novel stopper, and the same can be made in various sizes for association with bottles of different characters, such as pop bottles, vacuum bott1es,'and the like.

' with a relatively large, longitudinally extending bore i8, for a purpose which will later appear.

The opposite ends of the compressible body I5 are adapted to be engaged by top and bottom cone plates I1 and I8. These plates are stamped fromsheet'metal of the desired gauge, and it is preferred to have at least the bottom cone plate I8 formed from stainless steel. Rigidly secured to the axial center of the bottom cone plate is a threaded stem I9. 'I'he stem I9 near its lower end is provided with an annular shoulder 20, and the stem is inserted into the bottom cone il until the shoulder engages the cone. The bottom of the stem Il can then be upset, as at 2l, for intimate contact with the bottom face of the cone, and, if preferred, the vstern can be welded to the cone.

The threaded stem I8 extends loosely into the bore I6 of the compressible body, and the upper end of the stem is received in an elongated, internally threaded sleeve 22, which also extends loosely into the bore I6 of the compressible body I5. The top cone Il is mounted upon the sleeve 22 for sliding movement, and this top cone has formed thereon a peripheral, outstanding ange 22. The sleeve 22 also has slidably mounted thereon a top pressure plate 24. This top pressure plate has struck up from the same an annular channel 25, and this channel, receives the ilange 23 of the top cone. This allows the top pressure plate and the top cone to be centered relative to one another, and as the cone and the plate engage the smooth outer surface of the sleeve 22 at spaced points, tilting of thel 'I'he cam lips 29 on the lower end of the lever are adapted to engage the upper edge of the plate 24 as the cam is swung to a lowered position for moving the plate 24 and the top cone I1 toward the bottom cone I8. The lower edge of the lever opposite the cam lip 29 is rounded or cut away, as at 30, so that the danger of a persons finger catching between the cam lever and the plate 24 will be eliminated.

As the cam lever 26 is swung down, the cones I1 and I8 are moved toward one another. and, thus, the body I is compressed longitudinally, and @he body will expand circumferentially, asis clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawing. Thus, the compressible body will be forced into intimate sealing contact with the neck of the bottle, which will effectively prevent not only the escape of liquid from the bottle, but also the escape of gasses from the bottle. /By again referring to Figure 4, it will be noted that the cones I1 and I8 not only uniformlycompress the body I5 longitudinally, but the cones themselves form an intimate contact and sealing engagement with the ends of the compressible body, and. hence, the leakage of liquid or gas past, the compressible body and the cones.` is eliminated.

If preferred, the opposite ends of the compressible body can be slightly tapered to form snug engagement with the cones.

As heretofore brought out, the important feature of my improvement resides in the means: of associating the sleeve 22 with the stem I9, and the top plate and top cone with the sleeve. By having the plate 24 and the cone I'I slidably mounted on the sleeve, a smooth bearing surface is provided, and, hence, these parts do not ride on any threads, and, thus, will not catch on any part of the stopper,

Obviously, by turning the sleeve 22 on the stem I9, an initial adjustment can be had in the stopper, and, thus,l the stopper can be set for use with bottles having various sized necks.`

Changes in detalls may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of my invention, but what I claim as new is:

A stopper comprising.' a conical lower plate, an upstanding, axially disposed threaded stem rigidly secured to and carried by the plate, an elongated, internally threaded sleeve adjustably mounted on the upper end of the stem, said sleeve having a smooth outer surface, a pressure plate slidably mounted on the smooth surface of the sleeve, a top cone plate slidably mounted on the smooth surface of the sleeve, a swinging cam lever pivotally mounted on the upper end of the sleeve for contact with the upper surface of the pressure plate, and an elongated compressible body extending the full distance between the lower cone plate and the upper cone platevand pressure plate having an axially disposed bqreof greater diameter than the diameter of thelstem and sleeve for loosely receiving the stem and the inner end 'of the sleeve, said pressure plate hav'- ing an annular upstruck channel arranged, in spaced concentric relation to its periphery, :and saidupper cone plate having an outstanding marginal ange fitted in said channel', whereby-the upper cone plate and the pressure plate will be properly centered 'relative to one another and to the sleeve, thepressure plate extending beyond the outer edge of lthe cone plate and the compressible body, said cone plates properly centering the elongated compressible body relative to the threaded stem and sleeve.

1 AXEL MOELLER. 

